After leaving the Wasabi estate, Shuji noticed someone following him in the shadows.
He didn't mind, simply strolling through the city, stopping at various shops to chat with vendors about market prices, then finding a street-side tea house where he ordered local coarse tea and sticky rice cakes. The tea was bitter, the cakes cloying—ordinary fare—but the casual conversations confirmed Jirōchō's words: the Chasan Group members masquerading as guards had accumulated half a month's worth of public resentment, like smoldering coals needing only a spark.
When Shuji returned to the Seafoam Inn, darkness had fallen. Hiroyama was pleasantly surprised, and after a brief chat, Shuji returned to his room.
"Back so soon, Captain?" The purple-haired kunoichi knocked and stood in the doorway, making a playful salute with her fingers to her temple. "The Wasabi family's intelligence wasn't interesting enough?"
Shuji looked up at Anko.
She grinned: "I discovered something..."
Shuji smiled: "Then please enlighten me, Lady Anko."
"While you were at the Wasabi estate, a shipment of weapons arrived at the dock. I investigated—they're ninja tools," Anko said. "Kunai, shuriken, and some protective gear."
"Do you know where they're being sent?" Shuji grew serious.
"I sent Itachi to investigate."
Being young, Itachi could remove his forehead protector and go unnoticed. She would be too conspicuous—Anko was quite beautiful and drew attention at places like the docks.
After confirming the cargo was ninja tools, she immediately notified Itachi.
Itachi returned at that moment.
"Shuji-senpai, Anko-senpai." Uchiha Itachi was as polite as always. "I've investigated thoroughly—everything's bound for Nazaki Island. Apparently, Nazaki Island has been secretly purchasing ninja tools all month."
Shuji asked: "Did anything happen to Mr. Hiroyama's cargo?"
"No. I watched all afternoon. Those guards kept sneaking glances, but their attention was on us—they seemed to lose interest in the cloth merchant's goods."
"I see—" Shuji shared the information from his conversation with Jirōchō, omitting Tsunade's presence and only mentioning that Jirōchō had powerful protection, so safety wasn't a concern.
After Shuji finished, all three wore thoughtful expressions.
"Shuji," Anko frowned, "the Chasan Group's money-grabbing rampage, the Black Erosion Group's ghostly activities, Nazaki Island secretly buying ninja tools... these events are like scattered beads—I feel they could be strung together, but where's the thread?"
"The connection to the Black Erosion Group should be that Komainu," Itachi said.
Just then Hiroyama came upstairs to announce dinner arrangements. Shuji glanced at Anko.
"Got it, got it!" Anko immediately understood, dramatically sighing as she stood and patted Itachi's shoulder. "Come on, kid, let's help that unfortunate merchant carry dishes—save him from moping around and ruining our appetites."
Itachi silently rose and followed Anko out. The door closed softly, blocking outside sounds.
Only Shuji remained in the room. He went to the window, pushing it open as evening wind rushed in, stirring his hair.
Kunai and shuriken earned the name "ninja tools" precisely because ordinary people rarely used them. Even for ninja, blades were often more direct and lethal in close combat—as evidenced by ANBU standard equipment.
Normal forces outside the ninja village system rarely purchased such specialized weapons on this scale.
Combined with the Chasan Group's blatant money-grabbing since taking power, they clearly needed funds badly—not just from bandit nature, but for other purposes. Their heightened attention to ninja confirmed this.
The door opened as an inn servant entered with a tray. Dinner featured typical port fare: a large bowl of thick, milky fish stew with green onions floating on top; a plate of golden-fried small fish; and the house specialty of white, chewy fish paste cake dotted with red pepper flakes. Hiroyama had additionally prepared a plate of seasonal fruit for the ninja.
"No problems?" Shuji asked casually as he sat.
"None." Anko efficiently helped arrange the bowls and chopsticks while Itachi quietly placed the fruit plate at the center.
Shuji's gaze swept over the fragrant food: "Once the mission's complete, we'll find time to try the local specialties."
"I'll make you pay dearly then, Captain." Anko's eyes lit up shamelessly.
The inn's cook was skilled—the fish was fresh and perfectly prepared. The meal left Shuji with favorable impressions of Degarashi Port, deciding to stay several days after completing the mission to properly experience the local culture—assuming this tangled mess could be resolved smoothly.
After dinner, the dishes were cleared.
"Let me share my speculation," Shuji began, his voice particularly clear in the quiet room. "The Black Erosion Group's objective is likely establishing their own ninja village in Tea Country, with the Chasan Group as their backing."
"A ninja village?!" Anko nearly choked, eyes wide. "Just a few rogue ninja? You must be joking!"
Even Uchiha Itachi showed undisguised surprise.
"There are precedents," Shuji replied calmly, as if stating objective fact. "The ninja world isn't limited to the Five Great Villages. Many small nations have their own ninja villages. As long as core interests aren't threatened, the Great Nations lack both inclination and capacity to eliminate all small villages. After all," he paused, scanning both teammates, "when major wars erupt and great nations can barely manage themselves, mission gaps naturally appear in their spheres of influence. But small nation nobles' needs don't disappear—facing emergencies without deployable military force makes security impossible. Creating a ninja force controlled by or at least rooted in one's own country becomes a realistic choice."
"But... but," Anko still found it incredible, "what about Guardian Ninja? Can't daimyō recruit powerful ninja as direct guards? Isn't that different?"
"The nature differs," Shuji shook his head. "Guardian Ninja are private soldiers dependent on personal power, easily drawn into political whirlpools that can backfire on their masters. But ninja villages," he emphasized the term, "are institutional products with legal status and fiscal subsidies for operations. A village's scope and rules have relatively clear boundaries and consensus from establishment."
"Moreover, only this possibility explains why Tea Country ignores the Chasan Group's behavior in Degarashi Port."
Anko opened her mouth as if to argue but couldn't find stronger counterpoints, finally just scratching her hair in frustration.
"So... Shuji, what do we do next?" She looked at him. "Get Hiroyama's unlucky cargo on a ship, then immediately return to report? Let the old man and others worry about it?"
Instead of answering directly, Shuji withdrew the "A-rank" mission scroll personally handed over by Sarutobi Hiruzen, placing it gently on the table. The dark scroll gleamed coldly under the lamplight.
"The village," he tapped the scroll, meeting Anko and Itachi's gazes calmly, "has already given us authority and shown its inclination."
Expel or annihilate the Black Erosion Group.
From Tea Country's perspective, having a ninja village rooted in their territory would naturally be beneficial. Resources given to anyone were still given—giving to someone who prioritized their own interests seemed more profitable.
But from Konoha's viewpoint, the picture looked different. Small ninja villages established alongside the Great Villages were either too distant or faced early Konoha lacking sufficient personnel, with Fire Country's abundant mission quotas and funding already sufficient.
But times had changed. The village now had thousands of registered ninja, numbers still growing during peacetime. This Tea Country territory, viewed by Konoha as a stable mission source and preserve, would never be surrendered unless absolutely necessary.
Night wind poured through the open window, carrying the harbor's unique chill, causing the scroll's edge to flutter slightly. Under the lamplight, their three shadows stretched long and silent across the wall.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild